These true wireless earbuds are only $12. Can they possibly be any good?

If you read my recent story about the $37 Soundpeats earbuds and thought, “Too rich for my blood!” here’s good news. You can now buy a set of true wireless ‘buds for 12 bucks. Twelve dollars. $12.

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The last time I wrote about impossibly cheap earbuds, they were $14.49 — and surprisingly decent. How much lower can these things possibly go? $10? Less?

For now, here’s the deal: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon seller Zooson has the Yochos Bluetooth 5.0 true wireless earbuds for $11.99 when you clip the on-page 15%-off coupon and then apply promo code KKM9KNSN at checkout. At this writing, the seller tells me there are 800 units available, and the coupon and code will be available until supplies run out. Update: The seller appears to have removed the coupon. I’m investigating and will try to get an update soon.

Full disclosure: I haven’t tried these myself, so I can’t speak to fit, audio quality or the like. But I’ve tested countless similar earbuds, and most of them (like the aforementioned) have been pretty good. For what it’s worth, the nearly 400 user ratings here average out to 4.7 stars. But as is often the case, ratings-vetters Fakespot and ReviewMeta disagree on the legitimacy of those numbers.

On paper, it’s all good: Bluetooth 5.0, IPX6 water-resistant, five hours of play time on a charge and up to six recharges from the case. Speaking of which, it has a digital readout to show you how much power is remaining — a nice little perk. You can use the earbuds in stereo or mono mode (meaning just one at a time, often preferable for calls).

Don’t expect wireless charging here or even USB-C; the case relies on old-fashioned Micro-USB. And don’t expect great call quality, either; cheapie earbuds are almost always mediocre in that department.

Do remember that nearly all earbuds like these require a good seal inside your ears — not just for fit, but also for outside-noise reduction and optimal audio quality. That can seem weird at first for anyone accustomed to over-the-ear headphones or plastic earbuds like AirPods.

Whether you need an inexpensive gift for someone or just want some super-affordable earbuds for listening to podcasts, walking the dog, working around the house or whatever, this is one of the best deals on record.

Your thoughts?

Read more: The best cheap earbuds for 2020

Survive power outages and save $250 on this EcoFlow portable generator

Hurricanes, tornadoes, winter in general — there are lots of ways you can suddenly find yourself without power. And there are lots of ways to be prepared for that, a great one being a robust generator to keep the juice flowing.

Here’s one that’s robust indeed: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Cheapskate readers can get the EcoFlow Delta 1300 portable battery generator for $1,149 with promo code CNET250. That’s $50 below the best price elsewhere and $250 below Amazon’s current price.

The Delta 1300 offers up six two-prong AC outlets and six USB ports (all the kinds). Needless to say, you could use this in plenty of nonemergency situations as well: camping, job sites and so on. EcoFlow claims you can recharge the generator to 80% capacity in just one hour, or full capacity in about 90 minutes.

It’s an expensive item, no question, but something you might be very glad to have when the lights go out. And a $250 savings is nothing to sneeze at.

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Trying the best cheap wireless earbuds under $40

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